Contemplative Bible Reading

Judges 10:11-12 (New Living Translation)

11 The Lord replied, “Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they oppressed you, you cried out to me for help, and I rescued you.”

This is a long list of rescues. God is talking to the people and reminding them of all the times God rescued them from peoples who wanted to kill them—literally wipe them from the face of the earth.

Me? No one has tried to kill me. God has never rescued me. Well, uh, er, there was the time when I was about to do something really stupid and something stopped me just in the “nick of time.” Well, uh, er, that was my good judgement, right? And there was the time when things seemed really bad and then the next morning it was alright. Well, uh, er, that was the way of life or something, right? And there was the time when I was almost in a car accident, but my quick reflexes saved the day, and it was all my good skill, and, uh, er, well, was it?

Rescue? Has God ever rescued me? Well, uh, er, how about, “Certainly, yes.”

Yes, God has rescued me many times. Lots of bad things happen in this world. Gravity pulls things down. Mechanical things fail. Fatigues closes my eyes. Anger clouds my judgement. The list of calamities is long. The list of rescues is also long. Thanks be to God. Please God, help me in my unbelief.